Abbas added that due to the scale of the avalanche, the rescue operation could take days. The area hit is not prone to avalanches, he said.

A Pakistan rescue helicopter heads towards the glacier

The avalanche hit the barracks at 5:45am. The rescue operation is reportedly being hampered by bad weather.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani issued a statement expressing shock at the incident, adding that the tragedy would not “undermine the high morale of soldiers and officers".

The Siachen Glacier sits in the north of the politically sensitive area of Kashmir, land whose sovereignty is contested by Pakistan and its Indian neighbour. Both countries have bases in the region, with soldiers regularly patrolling up to heights of 6,700m (22,000 feet).